It's been hot out there and the tomatoes are growing fast! You'll have to keep up with your plants if you want to have a great harvest this season.
The first thing is to keep the fruits off the ground. They'll be more susceptible to slugs, mice, and rot damage.
My Italian grandfather would drive one stake next to each plant and prune the bejabbers out of them so all that was left has one stem, some leaves, and fruits. He swore by this method and the pasta sauce my grandmother made sure tasted good!
A better way is to purchase or make large metal or wooden tomato cages. For large-sized varieties such as "Brandywine," "Beefsteak," and "Cherokee Purple," the cage should be six feet tall and have big enough holes so you can reach inside to pick. Secure the cage to the ground with stakes. This will allow these large plants to fruit all summer without blowing over during a thunderstorm.
Another method is to erect six-foot-tall wooden teepees at each end of a short row of tomatoes and fasten a horizontal pole between the teepees. Run twine down the horizontal pole and attach it to the tomatoes as they grow.
You'll also have to mulch with straw to slow leaf diseases, keep weeds away, and preserve soil moisture. This hot weather hasn't been conducive to leaf diseases, but it can change anytime.
Side dress with organic fertilizer every three weeks to keep the fruit coming.
Watch for tomato hornworms and birds attacking your ripening fruits. Hand-pick the hornworms and use netting to keep birds away.
